Witches
Witches are human beings who are born with the ability to perform magic. Witches can be either good or evil, depending upon their moral alignment. Good witches are tasked with protecting innocents, as well as fighting and ultimately vanquishing demons. For this task, neophyte witches were originally granted magical guides and protectors called Whitelighters. Appendices Witches are born with a primary active or passive power, such as telekinesis or empathy, but their powers can grow as they age. In addition to their powers, witches also have the ability to cast spells and create potions to amplify their magic. They live by the rule that they are not to use their magic for personal gain, and doing so causes unforeseen consequences. Witches must decide within the first forty-eight hours of their powers awakening if they wish to renounce their magical powers, however doing so will reverse all acts involving magical intervention. History The exact origins of witchcraft are unknown. Throughout history, witches became the target of persecution by townspeople in events known as Witch Hunts. These events might be the reason why modern witches have to practice their craft in secrecy and heavy efforts are taken to conceal the existence of magic and the supernatural from humans. The Ancient Times In the ancient times, a group of female witches called the Elders was formed. These witches took control over the world of magic and held power over other magical creatures. Three thousand years ago, an ancient Elder crafted a spell in a language taught only to Elders by their own, that could extract the power of the Source of All Evil. Powers and Abilities ;Basic Powers *'Spell Casting:' The power to cast spells and perform rituals. *'Potion Making': The power to brew and concoct potions, remedies and elixirs that have supernatural properties. ;Other Powers *'Individual Powers:' Most witches possess individual supernatural abilities that are varied depending on their own skill, lineage or level. *'Immunity:' All witches without exception are immune to the effects of pixie dust, the sirens' songs and to being frozen in time. Weaknesses * Distraction: Preventing a witch from concentrating or giving full attention to their spells, may render them ineffective. Since most spells are spoken verbally and take time to take effect, witches are vulnerable to being subdued before their completion. Additionally, certain spells may require prerequisites (e.g., select items, tools, and/or special events) during their casting, and therefore they can't be invoked on mere whim. * Emotions: A witch's magic is subject to the influence of their emotional state and may fluctuate according to them when untrained. For example, anger prevented Mel from properly accessing her power to freeze time whereas Macy was too overly analytical of her telekinetic power and had difficulty using it. Maggie also needed to trust her inner voice in order to prevent herself from being overwhelmed by the thoughts of others. * Mortality: Despite their mystical attributes, witches are still human and share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural humans (e.g. age, decapitation, disease, heart-failure, suffocation, snapped neck, etc.). However, witches can get around this weakness through the use of magic. * Magic: 'Witches are still susceptible to the effects of magic. This is inclusive of mystical objects, such as the Amulet of Archangels and enchanted rosewood rings. ** 'Power Binding: A witch's powers can be neutralized by binding spells, however, this can be reversed. ** Power Stripping: Witches can be stripped of their powers, effectively becoming mortals. Usually, it cannot be reversed. ** Magical Renouncing: A witch can willfully renounce their powers and become human. However, they can only do so during the first 48 hours after they discovered the magical world and doing so will reverse all acts involving magical intervention. ** Aura Stripping: A witch can be stripped of their aura, preventing them from being magically detected while also rendering their active witchly powers dormant; they can still access the basic powers of a witch (i.e., spell casting) and Macy, a witch with demon-blood, retained her demon capabilities. Aura stripping presumably only renders a witch's current powers dormant, as Maggie and Mel were able to receive a new power after having her aura stripped. Window of Opportunity A witch can decide to accept their fate as witches within forty-eight hours after her powers awakened. If the witch refuses to accept her fate, she will revert to human and lose all magical powers and memories related to magic. Known Witches Vera Family Other Witches |-|Season 1= |-|Season 2= Trivia * In the original series, witches were both female and male. It's currently unknown if there are male witches in this version of Charmed. * Witches can be either good or evil. It is possible they also can be morally neutral (neither good nor evil). However, witches are generally perceived as good, given Abigael's fear that the demon world would learn she is half-witch. * Witchcraft in real life is mostly considered to be related to Wicca, a religion originating in England in the 1940’s by Gerald Gardner, though many practitioners often differentiate between the two. Wicca is often characterized as a Neo-Pagan faith, emphasizing honor to both a Goddess and a God, as well as taking personal responsibility for one’s own actions, and many Traditions will draw from different cultures for their own unique brands of honor and worship. Witchcraft is, as Harry has said, a Craft that needs to be learned and not necessarily be based on faith. ** The original Charmed series often made references to Wicca, such as in titles, the Wiccan Rede, and the writings by Doreen Valiente. Many aspects of Wicca have also been embellished throughout both series, mostly for the sake of plot. See also *Whitelighter-Witches *Demon-Witches *Psychics References Category:Species Category:Magical Beings Category:Witches